Neoconservatism

This is the third in a series of articles at the International Relations 101 section of the website, on “understanding international relations and foreign policy decision making.” These articles seek to make this complex, multi-dimensional arena accessible to people outside the halls of power. The series also pulls duty as a necessary backdrop for understanding the wisdom-based alternative approaches to the field that are being developed by The Wisdom Project.

Rami Khouri (interview)

Rami Khouri, a Palestinian-Jordanian, has some wise words for Americans who are trying to come to grips with life in the Middle East. Khouri is a prominent and well-respected journalist and internationally syndicated columnist. He was editor-in-chief of The Jordan Times and is now editor-at-large of the Beirut, Lebanon-based The Daily Star, the largest English language newspaper in the Middle East.

A shorter and differently emphasized version of this interview, “The Christian Message in Lebanon,” appeared in Christianity Today, August 2007.

Lynn Green (conversation)

Charles Strohmer talks with Lynn Green about an Evangelical-led Christian reconciliation walk among Muslims in Europe and the Middle East.

This conversation was originally published in Openings #3, April June, 1999.

Michael Schluter (conversation)

Charles Strohmer talks with Michael Schluter, The R Man, about transforming inter-community and international relations.

This conversation was originally published in Openings #18, April-June, 2004

The Power of a Good Story

This story inside a story about part of my own story was inspired by what I still consider to be John LeCarré’s best work, The Little Drummer Girl, a novel that spoke to me in a way I did not expect.

Wisdom-based foreign relations

Seeing International Relations and Foreign Policy through Different Eyes
Five Norms of Wisdom for Thinking about More Cooperative Relations between the United States and the Muslim Middle East

This article was written to offer political and religious leaders, their advisors, and other specialists, such as at think tanks, some ideas to mull over about wisdom-based foreign policy decision making for U.S. – Middle East relations. I’ve drawn it together from some chapters of the book I’m writing, so the material has not been made very public until now. It is hoped that it will draw visitors and readers comments and perspectives. It’s a bit of a different way of reasoning about constructing international relations.

Bibliography

This is a list of books I have relied on over the years, as of the summer 2010, for my research on international relations and foreign policy and my work on developing wisdom-based approaches to U.S. – Middle East relations. Apologies for not breaking these classifications into smaller ones, but the titles should make their subjects clear. Books on Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan are in “The Middle East.” Books about al Qaeda are in “War or Terrorism.” In due course I hope to find time to list other sources that have been essential, from formal reports, journal articles, interviews, and so on.

Democracy in Afghanistan?

In January, 2004, President Bush said, “A democratic Afghanistan will serve the interests of all the Afghan people,” and their “new constitution marks an historic step forward,” one that will help the nation “build a free and prosperous future.” Since then Americans have come to understand that democracy building in Muslim lands may give rise not to Western-style liberal democracies but to Islamic democracies.

First published in Sojourners Online, 3-29-06.